Box score (PDF) | GWUphotos.com
ROCK HILL, S.C.- The Gardner-Webb softball team saw its season come to a close, dropping a 9-5 decision to Winthrop in the first round of the 2016 Big South Softball Tournament on Wednesday afternoon at Terry Field on the campus of Winthrop University.
Gardner-Webb ends its season with a 21-33 record, while Winthrop (15-41) advances to face the no. 1 Longwood, Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.
The Runnin' Bulldogs entered the conference tournament as the eighth seed and were coming off a three-game sweep of the Eagles this past weekend, but Winthrop used a five-run third inning to propel it to victory.
Allie Barrick and Scarlett Harris each drove in two RBI to lead the charge offensively, and Kaylee Wacaster also had a solid day with the bat, going 2-for-3 with a run and a walk.
Shayne Covington and Zharne Glover each collected three hits for the Eagles, and Blake Wallert contributed to the Eagles offensive outburst, driving in four runs.
Gardner-Webb had its first chance to take the lead in the bottom of the first, as it had runners on first and second with no outs. Rachel Cumiskey advanced to third with the heart of the GWU order due up with no outs, but as Blank tried to steal second, Cumiskey bolted for home, and was tagged out for the first out of the inning. Kiley Majette got Harris to fly out and Megan Gibbons to foul out for the second and third outs of the inning, as the scored remained tied at zero after one inning of play.
Winthrop came back to take the lead with a big third inning, collecting two hits and taking advantage on an error to score five runs. Paige Haley scored the first run of the inning on a passed ball and after Leah Young drew a walk, Glover roped an RBI single and Wallert plated three runs, smacking a bases loaded double.
The Runnin' Bulldogs came back in the bottom of the inning notching three runs on five hits. Gardner-Webb loaded the bases with two outs and looked as if Winthrop would get out of a jam, but Barrick came three with a single, scoring Sam Harrell and Gibbons, while Megan Champion folloed with an RBI single, which scored Wacaster.
Three additional runs crossed the plate for the Eagles in the fourth and WU added a single run in the fifth and led 9-3 heading into the final two innings.
Trailing by six runs heading into the bottom of the seventh, Amanda Gomes drew a leadoff walk, one of three in the game for the senior, and Harris cleared the bases and cut the GWU defecit to four, belting her ninth home run of the season.
The Runnin' Bulldogs proceeded to load the bases later in the inning and brought the tying run to the plate in Cumiskey. Winthrop countered with a pitching change and brought the hard-throwing freshman, Chace Helms into the game to face the GWU batters. With a chance to tie the game and send it into extra innings, Helms got Cumiskey to fly out to deep right field and send the Eagles to the 9-6 victory.
Winthrop advances to face the top-seed Longwood, which is scheduled to be at 2:30 p.m. this afternoon.
